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We finnaly got a place and we'll need to build a shop. Does anyone have recomdations for securing a shaper to the floor? Here is my original post: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/picked-up-a-shaper.49544/
Still haven't found any information about the shaper and still not 100% convinced that its a true 12". Regardless I'm planning on treating the machince as though it is actually a 12" shaper.
Thanks for any input.

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I'd think most any type of common concrete anchor would do the trick. You won't be dealing with massive shear forces at the feet when your shaper is running, so I'd gauge my anchor size based on whatever clearance holes are currently in the machine's feet. In your photos, I can only see the one tab at the front. I'm assuming there's a matching tab on the other side. Is there a third mounting point in the rear of the base?

Congrats on building the new shop! My wife and I are beginning to shop around for a new place and this is something we've discussed, too. It seems I've always dealt with thin, "economically poured" floors in the past and if we end up building, I told her the floor was getting poured a full 24" thick. That should handle any machine I'll setting on it.

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Mine is a 16inch.
I've heard rumor of them "walking".
That's not been my experience, at least not at the speeds I run.
Level shouldn't be an issue unless you intend to use a precision level for set-ups.
Especially handy with angles.
This would require level to earth (vs level in plane) so you can measure the angles.
A thick slab of concrete would theoretically assist with stability.
The other two issues are:
1) oil drainage, like many vintage iron oil is everywhere. Perhaps I over lubricate....
2) where do I set my coffee, as I sit back listen to bluegrass and watch her...

f350ca

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Interesting shaper, I missed your earlier post. The body and table appear to be made of steel sections rather than cast.
Weight will determine wether it needs to be fixed to the floor. Like Daryl's my 18 inch sits there fine but the 7 inch Logan I had needed to be bolted down, it would walk.

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My shaper experience is on smaller shaper, Logan 8". If I crank the feed up I can get it to shake and walk. I refuse to bolt machines down, IMO opinion that causes its own set of issues, I prefer to level the machine and run it in the sweet spot, where it cuts well , does not vibrate or walk. I have seen a 16" shaper take half inch depth of cut at a pretty good clip and it did not shake or walk, it was not bolted down. It cranked out parts on a consistent basis without being bolted to floor.

f350ca

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Your right Daryl. On the smaller machines the mass of the ram is high compared to the frame and base though. On a bigger machine like yours the base is massive compared to the ram so it has less rocking effect.

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24" thick floor might be a LITTLE bit more than I can afford! Would be nice though...
I ask as I've also heard of larger shapers 'walking.' Whether or not this one would is hard to say, I'd just rather make sure I'm set up for it if it could.
- f350ca I originally thought that the body and table were built up from plate, but they are actually cast. I suspect that it was a kit of some sort with some locally produced parts (Denver did have some foundaries in the early 1900s). There is a shaper on ebay right now ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/metal-shaper/162456326061 ) that looks vaguely along the lines of mine, but thats the closest I've found. Hopefully when I have the chance I'll be able to tear into the thing and finally figure something out.

F

f350ca

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I'd say get it going and see if it needs bolted down. Easy to drill the floor and add anchors after. 4 inches of 5000 psi cement would be plenty, I opted for 6 inch but the chap that poured it thought I was crazy.
There seamed to be quite a few small manufacturers back then. Mine is a Peerless made in Guelph Ontario. Haven't been able to find any info on it, but have found at least 3 other people who have ones made by them. A smaller one and one the same size as mine but not having a rotating table.
Never weighed mine but from hauling it and moving it around Im guessing its in the 4000 pound range, it doesn't budge in high gear.

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I've got a 24" Cincinnati that sit's on 4 3"x3"x 3/4" steel plates with a knurl on the bottom side. It hasn't moved, and I run it pretty hard. I have a 7" Atlas that is on an old steel schoolteacher desk that has wheels on it and I can't run it any speed other than low or it's all over the place. It was mentioned before, but weight and friction with the ground probably have a lot to do with it. If you use a high friction foot (such as a rubber that would conform to the concrete floor or steel with a knurl on the bottom) you may not need to bolt it down. I like putting my machines on wheels, so I avoid bolting through welding projects to create machine subframes with casters and feet.